by Scott Peters
"Haven't we lost them yet?" she gasped.
"Just keep going, I'll tell you when to stop!"
He didn't want to lead the men to their home. He needed to be sure they'd lost them. For a moment he had a crazy notion to hide in the temple, but it was too risky. He heard footsteps in the distance, and they pressed on.
Silence surrounded them as the world slept, oblivious to Zet and Kat's terror.
He turned into a narrow lane, and then another. Suddenly, something sparkled up ahead.
"The river!" he cried. "Thank the gods."
Kat sprinted alongside him, somehow finding a second wind. They reached the edge at the same time.
"That way, under the stone ledge!" he said, and slipped in.
Kat didn't hover around the edge like she usually did, wading to her ankles, looking this way and that for crocodiles, water snakes, and hippos. Instead, she slipped in after him, and ducked beneath the stone overhang.
Together, they floated in silence. No one came to investigate. Still they waited, until he was sure it was safe.
They'd done it. They'd lost the guards.
Desperate to be rid of the reeking stench, Zet dove under. The water closed overhead, blissfully ending the foul smell. He floated in the darkness, letting the world and its problems disappear.
When he finally surfaced for air, Kat was still clinging to the stone overhang, but her hair was completely drenched.
With the danger gone, he felt anger well up. "What were you doing, screaming back there?"
"I didn't do it on purpose!"
"You almost got us killed! And what about Hui, don't you think they're going to connect it together? Him being out, and you screaming in the garbage pit?"
She went pale. "I hadn't thought of that."
He knew she'd never get Hui in trouble on purpose. Zet felt mean about what he said. But he was mad. "Well you should've thought of it, before you woke up the whole world."
"I'm sorry," she said. "I touched . . . something. Something horrible."
"Hello—we both touched something horrible. We were in a garbage pit!"
"Yes, but..."
"But what?"
She covered her face. "It was awful!"
Zet stared at her. "What was it? What did you touch?"
"Hands."
A chill ripped down Zet's spine. "Hands? What do you mean, hands?"
"Fingers! Grabbing me! That's what it felt like!"
"Did you see them?"
"No, but I felt them, I'm sure I did!"
"Fingers grabbed you? Come on. Do you hear yourself?" He was furious. Her wild imagination had nearly cost them their lives.
Kat's chin trembled. "It's the truth! Maybe it wasn't human. Maybe it was—"
He held up a hand. "Wait, don't tell me. The evil spirit army. Hiding in the pit."
She made a face. "Yes? Zet! It could have been! I felt it!"
He snorted. "I've heard enough. That's the last time I bring you with me. Ever."
With that, he pulled himself out of the water onto the stone ledge and stomped off. From behind, he heard Kat do the same.
She hurried to keep up. "What time do you think it is?"
"I don't know. Almost morning."
They'd need to be at the stall soon to open up. But first, he wanted to examine the ivory ball. Hui was in big trouble. Zet knew that now. Hopefully he could figure out what Hui meant when he'd said Zet would figure it out.
Chapter Nineteen
A Visitor
When they reached home, Zet was exhausted. Despite his urgent desire to study Hui's ball, he needed a rest. Just for a few moments. Then he'd get out the lamp and study it carefully until he knew what Hui meant.
He and Kat sank down on the cushions in the front room, too exhausted to even climb the ladder to their sleeping pallets on the roof.
He leaned back, determined not to fall fully asleep.
As soon as he closed his eyes, he drifted off.
Heat on his face made his eyes jerk open.
Sunlight streamed through the front windows.
"We're late for work!" he shouted, shaking Kat awake.
Blue circles rimmed her eyes. Grotesquely colored stains splotched her tunic and her hair was matted. She was groggy, but only for a moment. In a frenzy, she tore upstairs to change. Meanwhile, Zet found himself a fresh kilt, yanked it on, and then grabbed the linen wrapped ivory ball. There was no time to find a sack. He simply carried it and ran.
"We're in trouble," Kat said. "The other vendors already think we're irresponsible!"
"I know."
When they reached the market, it was in full swing. But as it turned out, Zet and Kat weren't missed. Instead, a crowd of people that included five, uniformed medjay surrounded the new amulet vendor's stall.
Akar's amulets clanked in a gentle breeze. If the man with the bulging eyes was surprised by the attention, he didn't show it. Instead, he wore a cheerful, spirited smile.
But the long established vendors weren't smiling. They were glaring. Salatis the old date-seller stood right in the middle of it all. He had his hands on his wiry hips. He and Akar seemed to be having some kind of showdown.
"We want this charlatan removed!" Salatis crowed. "He's stirring up trouble for his own evil ends!"
"Not at all," said Akar. "I'm just a humble salesman, like the rest of you."
"Like the rest of us?" The fumes of some acrid potion sent Salatis into a coughing fit. He whacked his chest a few times. "Well someone knocked over all my date baskets. Right into the dirt, too. And the next thing I know, you're over at my stall telling me it was the demon army, and I should buy a protection amulet from you or it will happen again! It's fishy business!" He pointed a bony finger. "I think you knocked over my baskets, just so I'd buy something from you!"
"Hold on now," boomed a familiar deep voice.
It was Merimose, the head medjay and Zet's old friend. Zet had helped him solve the case to save Pharaoh's life. Relief washed over him. He'd forgotten all about his plans to go visit the medjay. But maybe the important man could help.
Merimose was eyeing Salatis, weighing what the man said.
"You think Akar sabotaged your wares so you'd buy a magical protection device? That's a serious accusation," Merimose said. "Do you have proof?"
"No," said Salatis, "But I'm sure he did it!"
"Being sure and having proof are two different things." Merimose turned to the man with the stall of magical devices. "Akar, that's your name, isn't it?"
"Yes, indeed!" Akar said, grinning ear-to-ear. Clearly, the man wasn't afraid. He seemed to think all this attention was good for business. And maybe it was, because the rest of the market was empty, and crowds were pushing closer to see what was going on.
"Well, Akar, do you have papers to run this stall here?" Merimose said.
"I do indeed."
There was a lot of murmuring as the papers were studied. After a time, Merimose pronounced them good. "But I suggest you stay out of trouble," Merimose told him.
"Oh, I will, good sir. I most certainly will. Now, can I sell you a protection device of some sort? Being a police officer, you must face all sorts of terrible dangers!"
Merimose laughed.
Meanwhile, Salatis and the other vendors dispersed, all of them grumbling. At the same time, the waiting crowd surged forward and started browsing Akar's stall.
"We're in the wrong business," Zet said, rolling his eyes. Then he called out, "Merimose!"
The big medjay turned. At the sight of Zet and Kat, the man's tanned, leathery face spread into a bright smile. "Thought I might see you here," he said.
"I wanted to talk to you," Zet said. "I was going to come looking for you before. Do you have a minute?"
Merimose said something to his armed men. They dispersed down various side streets, off to walk their beats.
"I better go open the stall," Kat said.
"Why don't I help you," Merimose said. "Come on, I'll give you t
wo a hand."
One of the women who'd made special orders was waiting for them. At the sight of Merimose, she frowned.
"Well!" she said, arching one brow with a satisfied look. "I'm certainly glad to see the police involved! I knew it would come to this."
Merimose shot Zet a puzzled look.
"Yes," Zet said, deciding not to correct the woman's misguided assumptions. "We're doing everything we can to track down the missing orders."
Kat led the woman away, whispering that it was best not to disturb the investigation, and that in the meantime the woman could pick a second set in case the order didn't arrive.
"Trouble?" Merimose asked Zet.
"Don't even ask."
"Very good. None of my business." Merimose picked up a clay urn. He had huge hands, like two big platters. He turned the urn around easily, even though it took Zet both arms and a few good grunts to lift it. "What's this for?"
"A beer brewing jug," Zet said.
"Huh. You learn something new every day."
He set it down with a heavy thud. His face turned serious. "Now what did you want to talk about? I've never seen you look so grim."
Chapter Twenty
The Golden Scarabs
Zet wasted no time. "Is it true that golden scarabs are being stolen from all over town?"
Furrows appeared on Merimose's tanned forehead. He rubbed the spot between his thick brows. "Where did you hear that?"
Zet shrugged. "Akar."
"Why am I not surprised?" Merimose shot a look at the busy vendor. "Well, he got it partly right. They're being stolen, but not from all over town. Just the Khonsu district."
"The Khonsu district? Where the rich people live," Zet said. "So the thieves only want expensive ones."
"Thieves always want the expensive ones, when it comes to jewelry," Merimose said with a laugh. "I suppose that's the only stuff worth stealing."
Zet nodded. Three women walked past, baskets over their arms, chatting about what they planned to cook for the upcoming Opet feast days. They stopped at Salatis's date stall across the way.
Zet lowered his voice. "So you're sure it's thieves. You don't believe it's a demon army of dead Hyksos soldiers stealing the scarabs?"
"Akar's telling people that?" Merimose said.
"Yes."
"I'm a religious man," Merimose said. "But I'm also a medjay. And where there's trouble, we usually find a living person behind it."
Zet let out a breath of relief he didn't realize he'd been holding. "That's what I thought. Still, I could see how people might believe it. It's strange the thieves aren't stealing whole jewel boxes of stuff. Why pick out only the scarabs and leave the rest?"
"That's what puzzles me too," Merimose said.
"I mean, not that I believe in the demon army," Zet said, voicing a concern he'd never admit to Kat. "But scarabs protect long life and everything. Akar says the demons are swallowing the scarabs to weaken Egypt before the Opet Festival. So we'll be unable to fend them off when they come. And the demons will come when Pharaoh and the whole city is out celebrating."
Merimose looked grim. Quietly, he said, "That's why the first person I notified, after my men, was the Head Priest."
"You notified the Head Priest?" Zet whispered, shocked.
Hearing about the demons from Akar was one thing. But from Merimose? He took the threat seriously enough to involve the priests? That was more frightening than anything Zet could imagine.
A shadow seemed to pass over the square.
"How many scarabs have been stolen?" Zet asked.
"It's hard to say," the huge medjay replied. "We've gone door to door, investigating. You'd be surprised at some of these people we've interviewed. Some of them have so many jewels they don't know what they own. And then there are mothers and sisters who are away shopping, and half of them couldn't say what the other bought recently. It's an impossible task."
"Has anyone seen the thief? You know, like running out of the house or something?"
Merimose put his big, muscular hand on the sword hilt strapped to his waist. "Not exactly."
Zet gave the man a questioning look. Merimose glanced toward Kat's bent head. Her braided hair flashed black and blue in the chinks of light. She was on the far side, disappearing through the deep stacks of pottery, moving pieces here and there.
"Don't spread this around," Merimose said. "It's not a secret, but we don't want people to panic. Basically, a servant was attacked in Khonsu Street and almost killed. He was found unconscious, his head bleeding."
"Right in the middle of all those glittering mansions?"
Merimose nodded. "We patrol the area regularly. You can imagine how upset people are. Unfortunately, my men on duty that morning saw nothing."
Kat worked her way closer, cleaning and arranging. The clonk of dishes being shuffled around broke the stillness of the air.
"Why was the servant attacked?"
"Well, he was carrying a scarab amulet. How the attacker knew that is anyone's guess. Apparently the thing was made of solid gold and studded with rare precious jewels—rubies, emeralds, you name it."
"What was a servant doing with an expensive scarab amulet?"
"The jewelry had been sent out some weeks ago to be cleaned and repaired. The household received a letter saying the amulet was ready for pick up. So the servant went to pick it up, and was bringing it home."
Zet's skin prickled, and he was suddenly on alert. "From where? I mean, where was the amulet cleaned?"
"At a place called the Kemet Workshop."
Kat's head snapped up and she gasped.
Chapter Twenty-One
The Missing Amulet
"Someone was attacked leaving the Kemet Workshop?" Kat asked, eyes wide.
"You have good ears," Merimose said.
Kat colored. Obviously, she'd been listening in the whole time.
Merimose said, "Apparently the Kemet Workshop has the best jewelers in Thebes. But it sounds to me like you've already heard of the place."
Zet and Kat glanced at one another.
"We have heard of it," Zet said.
"Something you want to tell me?" Merimose said, studying them both.
"I was there, yesterday," Zet said.
If the medjay was shocked or impressed, he hid it well. "Why?"
At that moment, a woman emerged from a dark alley and headed toward them. Clouds of perfume billowed around her as she approached. Kat's shoulders went around her ears.
"It's one of the women," she said in a tense voice. "I better go talk to her."
"Do you want my help?" Zet said.
"I can do it."
He nodded. "Tell her about mother going down river."
"I hope she tracked the missing orders down," Kat said.
"So do I." He desperately wanted the stall back to normal, with happy customers, and without the worry they'd be kicked out of the market and lose their business.
Merimose didn't pry.
"Thanks for giving me a few minutes with your brother," the medjay said. Then he followed Zet out of the hot sunlight, back to the shaded, private area at the rear of the stall.
Zet offered his uniformed friend a cushion.
"Ah, that feels good. I've been on my feet since before dawn," Merimose said. "So what were you doing at the workshop?"
"My best friend, Hui, took a position there as apprentice."
Zet told him about his run-in with Snaggletooth when he first tried to visit Hui. He went on to explain how he'd convinced Delilah to attend the semi-annual visit.
"So you got inside?"
"Not easily, but yes," Zet said.
"And what were your thoughts on the place? I know you've got a sharp pair of eyes."
"I thought it was creepy. There are spying slots everywhere. And they searched us on the way out. And everyone seemed to be acting really strange. Including my friend, Hui. And the owner was weird."
Merimose nodded, thoughtful. "We did notice the slots. I d
on't have a problem with them. Probably a good security measure. As for the rest, they're no doubt on guard given what's going on."
"Then you don't think it's suspicious?"
"In what way?" Merimose said.
"Maybe someone from the shop stole the jewels. They knew the servant had them."
"Unlikely," Merimose said. "Why would they do that? The place exudes wealth. Even if the piece were worth a lot, it wouldn't be worth risking the shop over. In fact, it would be bad business. Not only that, it's too obvious! It would just point right back to them if they stole a piece every time it left the workshop."
Zet nodded, thoughtful. "But was it worth a lot? Like a giant fortune?"
"It was worth a lot. But like I said, not enough to steal."
"Maybe they're in trouble? Maybe they need the money?"
"No. They're fully paid up with their creditors. In fact, Kemet pays early, I'm told. And if his servants' clothing is anything to go by, Kemet's rolling in wealth. That can't be it. He has a solid business going. I'm told he makes pieces for Pharaoh's wife and daughters. Maybe even some of the royal jewels."
"Humph." Zet scraped at the ground with his foot. "Did you at least search the place for it?"
Merimose grinned with that bright, flashing smile. "That's why I like you. We think alike. Yes, I searched for it. Of course, I searched for it. I don't care how things look, or how wealthy he is." His smile faded a little. "But no luck. It's not there. We tore the place apart."
Zet pictured the servant who'd searched his bag, and decided they'd gotten a taste of their own medicine. He smiled. "I bet they didn't like that."
"No, to put it mildly. We searched Kemet's residence as well."
"He doesn't live there?"
Merimose shook his shaved head. "Nope. Kemet's got a great mansion on the river. You've probably seen the place on your way to your friend Padus's papyrus plantation. It's the second to last house on the way out of town."
Zet stared off for a moment, imagining the road. "I think I know the one."
"The place is practically a palace. Statues leering down from every corner. Pillared hallways and courtyards. He welcomed me and my men in like a lord, and sat back drinking wine while we turned the place upside-down. That's what convinced me."
